The process to obtain the release of the 49 Ivorian soldiers detained in Bamako, Mali, for more than a month, had been announced as potentially « long » by the spokesperson for the Ivorian government, Amadou Coulibaly. Côte d’Ivoire believed it had “privileged dialogue” to hope for a “happy ending”, said Mr. Coulibaly, on August 3, after a council of ministers. But several Malian judicial sources informed Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Sunday August 14 that “the 49 Ivorian soldiers [avaient] were indicted on Friday for attempted attack on state security and placed under a warrant of committal. This information was confirmed by a close associate of the prosecutor.
“Judicial return in force in the file”
Côte d’Ivoire judges that its 49 soldiers were “unfairly” arrested on July 10 at Bamako airport, accused by the Malian military in power of being “mercenaries” seeking to destabilize their country. What Abidjan denies, which assures that these soldiers were on a mission for the UN, as part of logistical support operations for the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (Minusma), and thus demands their release. They were, again according to Abidjan, to take over from other Ivorians deployed in Mali as national support elements (NSE).
According to Bamako, these soldiers had no “no mission order, no authorization” upon their arrival in Mali on July 10. The next day, they were accused by the Malian authorities of being “mercenaries” came to Mali with the “malignant purpose” of “break the dynamics of the refoundation and security of Mali, as well as the return to constitutional order”.
On July 25, the Minusma recognized “malfunctions” after the request for explanations from the junta on the situation of 49 Ivorian soldiers, in a note on United Nations letterhead, addressed to the Malian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, authenticated with the Malian government and consulted by AFP.
“It appears that certain measures were not followed and the Mission is trying to better understand how these malfunctions could have occurred in order to prevent them from happening again in the future. The Minusma notes that the Ivorian elements were deployed in Sénou (Bamako) to ensure security at the base of the German NSEs in this same locality, instead of Timbuktu (north) where the Ivorian contingent of the Minusma is based. »
“Justice will continue its work”
Mali and Côte d’Ivoire turned to Togolese mediation to find a solution ” fast “ to the crisis. Togo thus plays the role of mediator between Côte d’Ivoire and Mali, but the first negotiations, on July 28, in Lomé, did not make it possible to register any progress. According to a source close to the discussions initiated under the aegis of Togo, “the discussions, however advanced, stumbled on certain points, which may explain this judicial return in force to the file”. “Justice will continue its work, but the negotiations will also continue”she added.
This case illustrates the tensions between Mali and Côte d’Ivoire, accused by Bamako of having encouraged its West African partners to toughen the sanctions against the Malian soldiers who have carried out two coups since 2020, sanctions finally lifted in early July. .